The Daily Static
  The Daily Static
UF Archives
Register
UF Membership
Ad Free Site
Postcards
Community
Geekfinder
UFie Gear
Advertise on UF
Forum Rules
& FAQ

Username

Password


Create a New Account

  
 

Back to UserFriendly Strip Comments Index
UF Philosophy Corner - Ethics by MatthewDBA2008-10-21 08:21:28
  In order: by werehatrack 2008-10-21 08:35:19
-- An agreed-upon concept which permits something, and which does not require requesting permission, or for which permission cannot be easily denied; rights may be conferred on certain groups exclusively, in which case they become indistinguishable from privileges to the world as a whole.

-- No. ALL rights are consensual and contextual, as are all privileges.

-- Yes, and this is the only context in which they exist in fact.

-- Rights are conferred with no or few restrictions; privileges may have to be earned and/or may only be granted to certain defined groups or persons and/or may not be permitted without permission and/or a cost. Privileges generally are much more restricted than rights at the lower end of society; at the upper end, that may not be the case. The word "privilege" derives from "private law"; its original meaning was "an act which is permitted to those in power, but denied to the commoner without special permission."
[ Reply ]
    I like all but the first. by tallastro2008-10-21 08:48:31
      Could there ever be a right by MatthewDBA2008-10-21 08:53:44
        Yes, I think so. by tallastro2008-10-21 09:02:17
          I'm not clear on one thing. by MatthewDBA2008-10-21 09:07:59
            I believe werehatrack's claim is that by bitflipper2008-10-21 09:34:39
              Disagree. by werehatrack2008-10-21 09:55:55
                What leads you to believe that by MatthewDBA2008-10-21 09:59:15
                  Rights are consensual. No consensus = no rights. by werehatrack2008-10-21 10:08:46
                    That's a matter of definition, then? by MatthewDBA2008-10-21 10:11:23
                      Werehatrack and I are pretty close on this one. by tallastro2008-10-21 10:27:08
                Sure it is by bitflipper2008-10-21 10:11:18
                  Is that a right though, or merely a universal by subbywan2008-10-21 10:13:34
                    What is the difference between by bitflipper2008-10-21 10:27:05
                      Perhaps a right is by MatthewDBA2008-10-21 10:36:49
                        I'm amenable to that by bitflipper2008-10-21 10:50:41
                      No, because "violation" is subjective. by subbywan2008-10-21 10:52:18
                        Sometimes, though, you don't by bitflipper2008-10-21 10:56:20
                          I wanted to get away from the human examples by subbywan2008-10-21 10:59:44
                            O-kay, but it still begs the question by bitflipper2008-10-21 11:20:43
                              There isn't an appeal by subbywan2008-10-21 11:25:20
                                Which is precisely why by MatthewDBA2008-10-21 11:33:46
                                Which is exactly why I wouldn't :) by subbywan2008-10-21 11:38:55
                                Of course it can by MatthewDBA2008-10-21 11:47:55
                                Because if it can be taken away, it's conditional by subbywan2008-10-21 11:52:24
                                But a right does not guarantee outcome by bitflipper2008-10-21 12:08:10
                                Then it's not a right. by subbywan2008-10-21 12:32:51
                                Precisely. by bitflipper2008-10-21 12:51:28
                                It does only apply to a few. by subbywan2008-10-21 13:14:48
                                History has demonstrated by MatthewDBA2008-10-21 13:31:32
                                Exactly. What history has demonstrated by bitflipper2008-10-21 13:36:04
                                Rights can't be taken away. by subbywan2008-10-21 13:45:49
                                Then we come back to by bitflipper2008-10-21 13:52:16
                                Which I argue is wishful thinking. by subbywan2008-10-21 13:59:29
                                Then rights exist by dint of those same by bitflipper2008-10-21 14:16:03
                                Nope. i made no such claim by subbywan2008-10-21 14:30:24
                                I think we're dealing with by MatthewDBA2008-10-21 12:52:15
                                Human and societal behaviour and norms. by subbywan2008-10-21 13:16:58
                                Then what is your right to life? by bitflipper2008-10-21 11:41:40
                                I don't have a right to life. by subbywan2008-10-21 11:47:02
                                That would mean, then by bitflipper2008-10-21 11:56:40
                                I will defend myself too, up to and including by subbywan2008-10-21 12:34:25
                                But you would do so in the absence of society, too by bitflipper2008-10-21 12:58:17
                                No. That merely makes it an instinct. by subbywan2008-10-21 13:21:26
                                US citizens *do* have a right to life by MatthewDBA2008-10-21 13:34:17
                                If you can take it away, it's not a right by subbywan2008-10-21 13:39:51
                                And that's where I disagree by MatthewDBA2008-10-21 13:41:47
                                I thought you prefaced the need for a soul by subbywan2008-10-21 13:44:49
                                Maybe. by MatthewDBA2008-10-21 13:49:15
                                fair dinkum. by subbywan2008-10-21 13:51:06
                                It is not that your brother has a greater right by bitflipper2008-10-21 13:50:01
                                Um, the laws are *not* written to apply evenly. by subbywan2008-10-21 13:53:42
                                Actually, they *do* have the right to marry, by bitflipper2008-10-21 14:07:54
                                Because the state is involved there. by subbywan2008-10-21 14:39:47
                        Why should a right imply by MatthewDBA2008-10-21 10:58:57
                          Because without it, it means nothing. by subbywan2008-10-21 11:00:28
                            In what sense? by MatthewDBA2008-10-21 11:01:02
                              What is a "right" without something to back it up? by subbywan2008-10-21 11:03:57
                                "Useful" for what? by MatthewDBA2008-10-21 11:08:06
                                You haven't demonstrated that it is though by subbywan2008-10-21 11:10:11
                                As I posted elsewhere: by MatthewDBA2008-10-21 11:13:25
                                Isn't that rather the point of philosophy? by subbywan2008-10-21 11:15:16
                                In a way. by MatthewDBA2008-10-21 11:23:01
                                That is true. by subbywan2008-10-21 11:27:17
                                Which again gets back to by MatthewDBA2008-10-21 11:35:51
                                Present what you have. by subbywan2008-10-21 11:40:29
                                What I have is primarily definitional by MatthewDBA2008-10-21 11:47:08
                                What about those without senses then? by subbywan2008-10-21 11:53:47
                                Are you saying that by MatthewDBA2008-10-21 12:02:56
                                I'm questioning your statement of by subbywan2008-10-21 12:39:53
                                I don't see where I mentioned senses by MatthewDBA2008-10-21 12:47:10
                                No, I can't. by subbywan2008-10-21 13:24:11
              I wouldn't say inherent. by tallastro2008-10-21 10:20:48
      I'd agree with tallastro's definition,... by bitflipper2008-10-21 09:30:59
        Heinlein said it best, I think by subbywan2008-10-21 09:55:24
          Is it possible to have by MatthewDBA2008-10-21 10:03:46
            That's not what he's saying. by subbywan2008-10-21 10:10:06
              Well, I'd say that by MatthewDBA2008-10-21 10:14:17
                What gives them that right? (n/t) by subbywan2008-10-21 10:15:39
                  Why must a right be "given"? by MatthewDBA2008-10-21 10:16:14
                    Based on what? by subbywan2008-10-21 10:21:40
                      That depends on by MatthewDBA2008-10-21 10:33:23
                        scientific evidence, or faith-based? (n/t) by subbywan2008-10-21 10:50:07
                          Are those my only two choices? (n/t) by MatthewDBA2008-10-21 10:51:44
                            Not if you can think of more. (n/t) by subbywan2008-10-21 10:52:47
                              Evidence that rights are by MatthewDBA2008-10-21 10:56:36
                                That's a non-answer though. by subbywan2008-10-21 11:06:32
                                Where did laws come into it? by MatthewDBA2008-10-21 11:10:48
                                No, i think we have the same idea of "human" by subbywan2008-10-21 11:16:39
                                That's not how I see a human. by MatthewDBA2008-10-21 11:24:51
                                I have no argument with that. by subbywan2008-10-21 11:28:31
                                Again, that gets into a definition of "soul" by MatthewDBA2008-10-21 11:38:26
                                What makes them rights? by subbywan2008-10-21 11:41:44
                                That's how I define the word, yes. by MatthewDBA2008-10-21 11:48:56
                                Assuming that is true by subbywan2008-10-21 11:51:13
                                Going with my definition elsewhere by MatthewDBA2008-10-21 12:05:10
                                Which isn't germaine to the discussion though. by subbywan2008-10-21 12:41:31
                                It's not irrelevant by MatthewDBA2008-10-21 12:48:23
                                Then what makes it wrong to define a right by subbywan2008-10-21 13:02:19
                                One could argue that for any word by MatthewDBA2008-10-21 13:05:54
                                But other people can define it according to by subbywan2008-10-21 13:25:36
    As far as your etymology by MatthewDBA2008-10-21 08:52:16
      Mostly. by werehatrack2008-10-21 09:59:01
        So a hermit by MatthewDBA2008-10-21 10:00:48
          Neither rights nor obligations. by werehatrack2008-10-21 10:06:45
            I might dispute whether there is by MatthewDBA2008-10-21 10:09:56

 

[Todays Cartoon Discussion] [News Index]

Come get yer ARS (Account Registration System) Source Code here!
All images, characters, content and text are copyrighted and trademarks of J.D. Frazer except where other ownership applies. Don't do bad things, we have lawyers.
UserFriendly.Org and its operators are not liable for comments or content posted by its visitors, and will cheerfully assist the lawful authorities in hunting down script-kiddies, spammers and other net scum. And if you're really bad, we'll call your mom. (We're not kidding, we've done it before.)